Starting as a Talisman Master

On the high platform, Master Yan's face was stern, and although his voice was not loud, it clearly reached the ears of every disciple in the dojo:

"In the cultivation world, it is often said that there are three stages to Foundation Establishment: condensing spiritual energy, reshaping the physical body, and transforming the soul. Each of these three stages is a life-or-death chasm."

"The first challenge, 'Spiritual Power Condensation,' requires you to compress and condense the gaseous magical power within your dantian into a liquid state, using the essence of heaven and earth as a guide."

"This process is like forcibly compressing clouds into water. If one's magical power is weak and not pure enough, a slight mistake can cause violent spiritual energy to backfire in the dantian. At best, it can shatter the sea of ​​qi and ruin one's cultivation; at worst, it can cause the body to explode and one to die."

"The second challenge is the 'physical body reshaping.' How heavy is liquid magic power? Ordinary mortal flesh simply cannot bear it. Therefore, when the spiritual power condenses into liquid, it is necessary to use the essence of heaven and earth to nourish it, cleanse the marrow and reshape the meridians and bones."

"If the physical body is not tempered, or if one is old and frail with depleted vitality, the moment the essence enters the body, it will burst the fragile meridians inch by inch. Among Qi Refining cultivators, there are many who are over sixty years old and still try to forcibly establish their foundation. Eight or nine out of ten of them perish at this hurdle."

"As for the most dangerous third stage, it is the 'transformation of the soul.' After both the magic power and the physical body are formed, one must draw one's own soul to converge within it, open the sea of ​​consciousness in the darkness, and give birth to true divine consciousness."

"This test not only examines the strength of one's spirit and soul, but also the steadfastness of one's heart in pursuing the Dao. If one's will is not firm and one's obsession is too deep, it is very easy to attract external demons to invade during the transformation of one's spirit and soul, ultimately leading to demonic possession and the dissipation of one's soul."

These are the three stages of foundation building.

After saying that, Uncle Yan did not stop there, but followed up with a few words of his own personal experience when he broke through the barrier in the past.

Such as how to protect the heart meridian when drawing essence into the body, how to control the heat when condensing magical power, and how to maintain oneness and focus on the original state before the soul undergoes transformation.

These subtle techniques for cultivating internal energy are all insights gained through the personal experience of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Lu Chi listened intently from below, and the doubts in his heart were resolved.

He finally understood why, despite trying to subtly inquire with his fellow students for the past six months, he had been unable to get any clear answers.

Such secrets involving specific timing and mental states are only partially understood by the Qi Refining cultivators in the outer sect who haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so naturally they can't explain them clearly.

Without a senior who has truly reached this realm to personally impart knowledge, relying solely on hearsay and fragmentary information among lower-level cultivators is like the blind men touching an elephant. When it comes to breaking through the barriers, even the slightest mistake can easily lead to the loss of all previous efforts and the destruction of one's foundation for cultivation.

After he sat down, he continued his sermon, and the disciples behind him stood up one by one to ask questions.

Although Master Yan was cold and harsh, his words were ultimately meaningful. Most of the day passed quietly, and he finally answered all the questions of the more than one hundred disciples present.

As the sun began to set, Master Yan, standing on the high platform, picked up a cup of spiritual tea to moisten his throat, his cold gaze sweeping across the entire area once more.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the temple changed drastically, transforming from a focus on seeking answers and enlightenment to a suffocating tension.

The disciples all knew perfectly well that the main event was about to begin.

Next came the part that this senior apprentice loved to do most: a public spot check and examination.

Lu Chi noticed that Tao Feng beside him instantly stiffened, his breathing became visibly rapid, and fine beads of cold sweat even appeared on his forehead. (Latest update: Starting cultivation as a talisman master)

Just then, Master Yan's extremely imposing gaze, as if it were tangible, pierced through the crowd and landed directly on their seating area.

Tao Feng was so frightened that he turned pale and wished he could bury his head in the cracks between the floor tiles, not daring to even breathe.

"The one who asked about the Foundation Establishment method just now, come forward."

Master Yan's cold, hard voice echoed in the empty temple.

Upon hearing this, Tao Feng felt as if he had been granted a pardon. His tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and he let out a long breath of relief.

Lu Chi remained calm, straightened the slightly wrinkled hem of his blue robe, stood up unhurriedly, and walked steadily along the bluestone passageway toward the front of the high platform.

In an instant, hundreds of eyes in the room focused on him. Among these eyes, some were filled with jealousy, but most were simply curious and inquisitive.

Lu Chi usually kept to himself and rarely went out. He spent almost all his time tending to the spirit fields in the array of the Jiazi No. 7 courtyard. Apart from necessary interactions with a small number of disciples, such as Tao Feng, to discuss the properties of spirit herbs, he rarely moved around the peak and kept a very low profile.

However, the outer sect of Baicao Peak is not very large, and everyone is actually quite familiar with his face.

After all, a rogue cultivator from out of town with no background, upon entering the sect, relied on his extremely profound farming skills to not only avoid hard labor but also win the favor of Master Gu, thus overtaking many senior members and monopolizing the enviable second-tier spirit field and independent courtyard.

Such a reputation had already spread far and wide among these lower-ranking disciples.

Now that everyone could witness firsthand the fighting prowess of this "farming genius," they all craned their necks, eagerly anticipating the outcome.

Lu Chi stood in front of the white jade platform.

"Of all the arts of cultivation, farming and alchemy are merely supplementary. We cultivators must ultimately establish ourselves through the art of protecting the Dao. Since your foundation is solid, empty talk is useless. Demonstrate your combat skills in public and let me see your true abilities."

Master Yan looked down at him, his cold face revealing neither joy nor anger. He spoke indifferently, then his gaze swept across the training ground, as if he was about to randomly point out one of the seventh-level Qi Refining disciples to spar with him.

Just then, a tall, thin figure stepped out from the crowd, loudly clasping his hands in greeting, "Uncle-Master Yan, I, Zhao Ya, wish to spar with Junior Brother Lu. I humbly request your permission, Uncle-Master!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person who had volunteered for the fight was Zhao Ya, who had exchanged a few words with Lu Chi on the mountain path earlier.

Master Yan frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Ya with a hint of displeasure.

Zhao Ya had been stuck at the eighth level of Qi Refining for many years. Whether it was the accumulation of magical power or the experience in fighting enemies, he was very experienced. Lu Chi, on the other hand, was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

With such suppression of cultivation level, the competition and assessment would lose its fairness. He originally wanted to refuse and find someone of the same level.

Zhao Ya seemed to sense Master Yan's hesitation and, fearing he might miss this golden opportunity to regain face in public, quickly spoke up first:

"Uncle-Master, you are wise. Although Junior Brother Lu is a newcomer, he has gained the favor of the elders in charge and is in charge of a second-tier spirit field. His cultivation in the Dao must be extraordinary. I am willing to seal off one-tenth of my power and stop here, as a way to train and hone Junior Brother's skills."

Upon hearing this, Master Yan remained noncommittal, but turned to Lu Chi and asked in a calm tone, "What do you think? If you feel it's inappropriate, I will find someone else."